Heretofore, mobile carts have been designed to meet a distinct and singular need. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,735 to Reginald Haley, the inventor of the apparatus described and claimed herein, discloses an embalming instrument cart for use in embalming human remains. The cart has trays for storing chemicals and embalming instruments and an irrigation system. Portable carts are also typically used by health care professionals during surgical procedures, by airplane stewards, and by food service providers, including street vendors and caterers.
When entertaining guests outdoors or in one's home, it is important to have an adequate supply of filtered water readily available for guests to consume. Water is also needed for cleaning glasses and utensils and for hand washing. The demand for water is a considerable concern for hosts in situations where beverages and snacks are served outside of the kitchen. Selecting an appropriate location for setting up a serving station is difficult, as guests typically congregate in multiple areas that are constantly subject to change as the result of weather or shifts in activities. It is therefore desirable to have portable service carts available that carry an adequate supply of fresh water.
To meet the service demands encountered when entertaining outdoors, numerous portable beverage dispensing apparatus have been developed. Typical portable dispensing apparatus are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,974,500, 4,076,349, 3,949,902, 3,889,967 and 3,748,437.
The patents referenced above disclose apparatus that perform a single function and include large, heavy water supply tanks or no water supply at all. According to the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,500, a hot beverage preparation and dispensing cart includes a large, enclosed unit housing an internal water supply and collection system and a complex power distribution system. The water supply and collection system includes a holding tank positioned at a bottom of the cart, sink and beverage preparation stations located in the counter top, a filter inserted in the feed lines extending between the holding tank and the sink and beverage stations, a hot water heater, and a collection tank. A canopy having an illuminating means provided therein is spaced from and extends over the two-level counter top.
According to the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,349, a mobile beverage dispensing cart includes a large, rectangular-shaped cabinet structure having a counter top with multiple units, including a hot liquid storage and dispensing means, a cold liquid dispensing means and a condiment means, removably secured thereon. The cart converts to a flat surface service cart with multiple drains and wells provided therein by removing the units from the counter top and rotating upward the side shelves hingedly attached to the sides of the cart.
According to the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,967, a patio serving cart includes a wheeled frame having a top with two wells disposed side by side. A cover having a vent provided therethrough is hinged to the upper surface of the frame such that the cover overlies only the portion of the top having the wells disposed therein when the cover is closed. No water supply means is contemplated.
Service carts, such as the ones described above, are relatively expensive items having limited uses. Homeowners who entertain small weekend gatherings are less inclined to purchase the commercial, unifunctional and extravagant portable serving devices. Further, on board water tanks included with many existing carts provide inadequate amounts of fresh water and significantly increase the weight of the cart, thereby limiting portability and maneuverability. It would be beneficial to have a service cart that is tailored for the casual weekend entertainer, that has multiple uses aside from food and beverage service, and that is lightweight while still meeting the fresh water supply needs of any occasion.
It would be desirable to provide a cost-effective, high-quality, portable cart that provides an endless supply of filtered water, is easily adjusted and covered without removing any components thereof, and is readily converted to an apparatus having a separate and unique application or use. No such versatile service cart is commercially available.